Frederick Benteen
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Benteen (August 24, 1834 – June 22, 1898) was a military officer during the American Civil War
and then during the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. He is notable for being in command of a battalion (Companies D, H,& K) of the 7th U. S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
.
to Theodore Charles Benteen and his wife Caroline (Hargrove) Benteen. Benteen's ancestors had emigrated to America from Holland in the eighteenth century, settling in Baltimore. The family had moved to Virginia from Baltimore shortly after the birth of their first child, Henrietta Elizabeth, in October 1831. Frederick Benteen was educated at the Petersburg Classical Institute, where he was first trained in military drill. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri
in 1849. In 1856, he became acquainted with Catharine "Kate" Louisa Norman, a young woman recently arrived in St. Louis from Philadelphia.
The election of Abraham Lincoln
as U.S. President in 1860 polarized the country. Theodore Charles Benteen, an ardent secessionist, vehemently opposed his son's associating with Unionists. A family crisis was ignited when Frederick joined the Union Army
on September 1, 1861 as a first lieutenant in the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Frederick married Catherine Norman on January 7, 1862 at Saint George's Church in St. Louis. In July 1863, Catherine Benteen gave birth to the couple's first child, Caroline Elizabeth, but the daughter would die before reaching her first year.
Benteen participated in numerous battles during the Civil War, for which he was awarded the brevet
ranks of major
and then lieutenant colonel
. Among his engagements were Wilson's Creek
, Pea Ridge
, Vicksburg and Westport
. On February 27, 1864, Benteen was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and commander of the 10th Missouri Cavalry
. Benteen was mustered out at the war's end in the spring of 1865, and shortly thereafter was appointed to the rank of colonel as commander of a "Buffalo Soldier
" regiment, the 138th U.S. Colored Volunteers. He led the regiment from July, 1865 to January, 1866, when it was mustered out. Later that year, he was appointed a captain in the 7th U.S. Cavalry
. Meanwhile, the Senate finally approved awards of brevets to distinguished veterans of the Civil War. Benteen received brevets of major for the Battle of Mine Creek
and lieutenant colonel for the Battle of Columbus.
. This would be Benteen's regiment for 16 years. Until 1882, except for periods of leave and detached duty, Benteen commanded Troop H of the 7th Cavalry. On January 30, 1867, Benteen made a customary courtesy call to the quarters of Custer and his wife Elizabeth
. Benteen said later that he regarded Custer to be a braggart from their first meeting (and his dislike deepened as his years of service under Custer went by.)
Meanwhile, on March 27, 1867, Benteen's wife gave birth to a son in Atlanta.
Following the Civil War, the Cheyenne Indians represented the greatest threat on the Kansas frontier. In late July 1868, Benteen led an expedition to provide security for the Indian agents near Fort Larned. On August 13, Benteen, commanding 30 troopers, encountered a Cheyenne raiding party along the banks of Elk Horn Creek near Fort Zarah. He charged into a force of what appeared to be about fifty warriors. To Benteen's surprise, he then discovered more than 200 Cheyennes raiding a ranch. Benteen pursued the Cheyennes without rest until dark, engaging them throughout the day without respite. This first undisputed victory of the 7th Cavalry brought Benteen a brevet to colonel
and the adoration of the settlers of central Kansas.
On October 13, Benteen and his men went to escort a wagon train loaded with weapons and ammunition meant for the regiment. They reached the wagon train just as a war party began to attack. Benteen drove off the warriors, saving the wagon train from capture. Later, the trail of the raiding party would lead the 7th Cavalry to a Cheyenne encampment on the Washita River in the Indian Territory
.
In response to the continued raids, General Philip Sheridan
devised a plan of punitive reprisals. His troops would respond to Indian attacks by entering winter encampments, destroying supplies and livestock, and killing those who resisted. It would include the cavalry moving in the dead of winter through a largely uncharted region and required daring leadership. Sheridan turned to Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, who was brought back early from his court-martial and given the mission. Sheridan trusted only Custer with such a deed, and in November 1868 Custer returned to the his regiment under special orders from Sheridan.
On November 23, 1868, Custer left Camp Supply with the 11 companies of the 7th Cavalry, heading towards the Washita River. On November 27, the 7th surrounded a Cheyenne encampment at the river. Just before dawn, Custer launched a four-pronged assault on the village
.
Benteen, as captain of H Company, led a squadron of Major Elliott's command during the attack. His horse was shot from under him by a son of Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle
. The boy was about fourteen years old and was armed only with a revolver. Benteen called out that the boy's life would be spared if he dropped his weapon. Benteen made the peace sign. In reply, the boy aimed his revolver at Benteen and fired. The bullet missed, so the boy fired again, the bullet passing through the sleeve of Benteen’s coat. The boy then fired a third time, as Benteen continued to make friendly overtures. This bullet hit Benteen’s horse, killing it and pitching Benteen into the snow. When the Indian boy raised his pistol to fire once more, Benteen finally shot him dead.
Custer in his battle report to Sheridan made little reference to his own casualties. This was because during the action itself, the 7th lost only one man killed (Captain Hamilton) and seven wounded. However, shortly after the actual battle, Major Elliot and 19 men had pursued escaping warriors up the river and had yet to return: as such were posted as Missing. It later emerged that Elliot (who rode off with the cry 'Here's for a brevet or a coffin') had been surrounded and wiped out by the Cheyenne, along with all his men.
Benteen clearly decided that Custer had abandoned Elliot, irrespective of the facts and wrote to a friend criticizing Custer over this. The letter was passed to the St. Louis Democrat newspaper without Benteen's permission. On its publication Custer called the officers together and threatened to 'horsewhip' the author, showing his character as a strict disciplinarian. To Benteen's credit and without revealing that the letter had been published without his knowledge or permission, he admitted authorship, albeit with a hand on his pistol. Custer sensibly did not attempt a whipping but dismissed the matter with a curt 'Mister Benteen, I will see you later'.
, he was assigned command of a battalion comprising Companies H, D, and K. Although Custer was uncertain of the exact location of the Indians, he assigned Benteen the task of defending the left flank. Benteen searched fruitlessly through rough ground for about two hours before returning to the trail of the main column. As he advanced toward the river, he was met by a messenger from Custer, soon followed by another, indicating that a big village had been found and that Benteen should come ahead. A note delivered to him read: "Come on. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs." Custer seemingly meant for Benteen to unite his companies with the slow pack mules (which were bringing up the rear and guarded by Company B) and then ride on to link up with Custer's five companies. These packs contained the regiment's ammunition reserve. Benteen, however was in no apparent hurry and even spent 20 vital minutes watering his horses at a ford.( Re: April 2010 Wild West Magazine: "... as any good cavalry officer would do seeing they had been pushed to exhaustion in the drive to their commanded location ). Hearing gunfire ahead, however, Benteen spurred his command to a gallop.
A battalion made up of companies M, A and G and led by Major Marcus Reno
had attacked the southwest corner of a large Indian village along the Little Bighorn river and had been routed with heavy casualties in its attack on the Sioux village, and the tattered remains of the battalion struggled to cross the river and climb the bluffs. As Reno's units were still under fire and low on ammunition, and since Reno was technically Benteen's superior officer, Reno ordered Benteen to share his battalion's ammunition with him. Reno was visibly shaken, and his ability to effectually command was diminished.
Within a few minutes, loud firing to the north was heard by the men on the bluffs, and the Sioux began to turn away from the Reno/Benteen units and head back into the village and continue towards the firing. These volleys signified that Custer was engaged, but to what extent, Reno and Benteen had no idea. They did not at once advance to find out, which would later create a controversy regarding an alleged abandonment of Custer. (General Nelson A. Miles
made an accusation to that effect.)
Captain Thomas Weir
, infuriated by the lack of movement to support Custer, rode north about a mile towards the sound of the shots to the present-day Weir Point, eventually followed by men of his company, then Benteen and the three companies under his command and finally Reno and his men, carrying the wounded. At Weir Point the view of Custer's location, some three miles further north, was largely of a cloud of dust and numerous Native American warriors in command of the battlefield.
The Lakota and Cheyenne quickly destroyed Custer’s battalion and then turned their attention to Reno and Benteen, driving them back to their original position now called the "Reno-Benteen defense site". It was a horseshoe-shaped perimeter on the bluffs near where Reno and Benteen had met. During the next 24 hours, Benteen assumed virtual command. He led two charges which drove the Indians back just as it seemed the soldiers would be overrun. Cool and calm, Benteen was seen walking amongst his troops encouraging them and leading by example. He was wounded in the thumb, and the heel was shot off one of his boots.
Benteen was later criticized for his slow travel between the time he was sent to secure the left and the time he reached the bluffs overlooking the river. However, the route he was ordered to scout is much more rugged terrain than the gently descending North Fork of Reno Creek that Custer's command had ridden down at full gallop.
His decision to remain with Reno, rather than continuing on at once to seek Custer, was also questioned by critics.
in 1877, later being brevetted brigadier general
on February 27, 1890 for his actions at the Battle of Canyon Creek
, as well as for his earlier actions at the Little Bighorn. He testified at the Reno Court of Inquiry in 1879 in Chicago
. Benteen was promoted to major, 9th U.S. Cavalry, in December 1882. In 1887, he was suspended for drunk and disorderly conduct at Fort DuChesne, Utah
. He was convicted and faced dismissal from the Army
, but President Grover Cleveland
reduced his sentence to a one-year suspension. Benteen retired on July 7, 1888, citing disability from rheumatism and heart disease.
Frederick Benteen died ten years later on June 22, 1898, leaving his widow Kate and a son Frederick. He was buried in Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, his pallbearers included Georgia
Governor
William Y. Atkinson and Charles Collier
, the mayor
of Atlanta. Benteen's remains were later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery
.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and then during the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. He is notable for being in command of a battalion (Companies D, H,& K) of the 7th U. S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
.
Early life and career
Frederick Benteen was born August 24, 1834, in Petersburg, VirginiaPetersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
to Theodore Charles Benteen and his wife Caroline (Hargrove) Benteen. Benteen's ancestors had emigrated to America from Holland in the eighteenth century, settling in Baltimore. The family had moved to Virginia from Baltimore shortly after the birth of their first child, Henrietta Elizabeth, in October 1831. Frederick Benteen was educated at the Petersburg Classical Institute, where he was first trained in military drill. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1849. In 1856, he became acquainted with Catharine "Kate" Louisa Norman, a young woman recently arrived in St. Louis from Philadelphia.
The election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
as U.S. President in 1860 polarized the country. Theodore Charles Benteen, an ardent secessionist, vehemently opposed his son's associating with Unionists. A family crisis was ignited when Frederick joined the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
on September 1, 1861 as a first lieutenant in the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Frederick married Catherine Norman on January 7, 1862 at Saint George's Church in St. Louis. In July 1863, Catherine Benteen gave birth to the couple's first child, Caroline Elizabeth, but the daughter would die before reaching her first year.
Benteen participated in numerous battles during the Civil War, for which he was awarded the brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
ranks of major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and then lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. Among his engagements were Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
, Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
, Vicksburg and Westport
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West," was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General...
. On February 27, 1864, Benteen was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and commander of the 10th Missouri Cavalry
10th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry
The 10th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 10th Missouri Cavalry was organized at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri in October 1862 and mustered in for three years. It was organized from the 28th...
. Benteen was mustered out at the war's end in the spring of 1865, and shortly thereafter was appointed to the rank of colonel as commander of a "Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
" regiment, the 138th U.S. Colored Volunteers. He led the regiment from July, 1865 to January, 1866, when it was mustered out. Later that year, he was appointed a captain in the 7th U.S. Cavalry
U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment
The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army Cavalry Regiment, whose lineage traces back to the mid-19th century. Its official nickname is "Garryowen," in honor of the Irish air Garryowen that was adopted as its march tune....
. Meanwhile, the Senate finally approved awards of brevets to distinguished veterans of the Civil War. Benteen received brevets of major for the Battle of Mine Creek
Battle of Mine Creek
The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of the Osage, was a battle that occurred on October 25, 1864 in Kansas as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War...
and lieutenant colonel for the Battle of Columbus.
7th Cavalry service under Custer
In January 1867, Benteen departed for his new assignment with the 7th Cavalry Regiment and its field commander Lt. Col. George Armstrong CusterGeorge Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
. This would be Benteen's regiment for 16 years. Until 1882, except for periods of leave and detached duty, Benteen commanded Troop H of the 7th Cavalry. On January 30, 1867, Benteen made a customary courtesy call to the quarters of Custer and his wife Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bacon Custer
Elizabeth Bacon Custer was the wife of General George Armstrong Custer. After his death, she became an outspoken advocate for her husband's legacy through her popular books and lectures...
. Benteen said later that he regarded Custer to be a braggart from their first meeting (and his dislike deepened as his years of service under Custer went by.)
Meanwhile, on March 27, 1867, Benteen's wife gave birth to a son in Atlanta.
Following the Civil War, the Cheyenne Indians represented the greatest threat on the Kansas frontier. In late July 1868, Benteen led an expedition to provide security for the Indian agents near Fort Larned. On August 13, Benteen, commanding 30 troopers, encountered a Cheyenne raiding party along the banks of Elk Horn Creek near Fort Zarah. He charged into a force of what appeared to be about fifty warriors. To Benteen's surprise, he then discovered more than 200 Cheyennes raiding a ranch. Benteen pursued the Cheyennes without rest until dark, engaging them throughout the day without respite. This first undisputed victory of the 7th Cavalry brought Benteen a brevet to colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
and the adoration of the settlers of central Kansas.
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
.
In response to the continued raids, General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
devised a plan of punitive reprisals. His troops would respond to Indian attacks by entering winter encampments, destroying supplies and livestock, and killing those who resisted. It would include the cavalry moving in the dead of winter through a largely uncharted region and required daring leadership. Sheridan turned to Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, who was brought back early from his court-martial and given the mission. Sheridan trusted only Custer with such a deed, and in November 1868 Custer returned to the his regiment under special orders from Sheridan.
On November 23, 1868, Custer left Camp Supply with the 11 companies of the 7th Cavalry, heading towards the Washita River. On November 27, the 7th surrounded a Cheyenne encampment at the river. Just before dawn, Custer launched a four-pronged assault on the village
Battle of Washita River
The Battle of Washita River occurred on November 27, 1868 when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S...
.
Benteen, as captain of H Company, led a squadron of Major Elliott's command during the attack. His horse was shot from under him by a son of Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle
Black Kettle
Chief Black Kettle was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne after 1854, who led efforts to resist American settlement from Kansas and Colorado territories. He was a peacemaker who accepted treaties to protect his people. He survived the Third Colorado Cavalry's Sand Creek Massacre on the Cheyenne...
. The boy was about fourteen years old and was armed only with a revolver. Benteen called out that the boy's life would be spared if he dropped his weapon. Benteen made the peace sign. In reply, the boy aimed his revolver at Benteen and fired. The bullet missed, so the boy fired again, the bullet passing through the sleeve of Benteen’s coat. The boy then fired a third time, as Benteen continued to make friendly overtures. This bullet hit Benteen’s horse, killing it and pitching Benteen into the snow. When the Indian boy raised his pistol to fire once more, Benteen finally shot him dead.
Custer in his battle report to Sheridan made little reference to his own casualties. This was because during the action itself, the 7th lost only one man killed (Captain Hamilton) and seven wounded. However, shortly after the actual battle, Major Elliot and 19 men had pursued escaping warriors up the river and had yet to return: as such were posted as Missing. It later emerged that Elliot (who rode off with the cry 'Here's for a brevet or a coffin') had been surrounded and wiped out by the Cheyenne, along with all his men.
Benteen clearly decided that Custer had abandoned Elliot, irrespective of the facts and wrote to a friend criticizing Custer over this. The letter was passed to the St. Louis Democrat newspaper without Benteen's permission. On its publication Custer called the officers together and threatened to 'horsewhip' the author, showing his character as a strict disciplinarian. To Benteen's credit and without revealing that the letter had been published without his knowledge or permission, he admitted authorship, albeit with a hand on his pistol. Custer sensibly did not attempt a whipping but dismissed the matter with a curt 'Mister Benteen, I will see you later'.
Little Big Horn
During the Little Bighorn (“Sioux”) expedition in 1876, under Custer, Captain Benteen again commanded Company H. Approximately 12 miles from the Little Bighorn RiverLittle Bighorn River
The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on its banks in 1876, as well as the Battle of Crow Agency in 1887....
, he was assigned command of a battalion comprising Companies H, D, and K. Although Custer was uncertain of the exact location of the Indians, he assigned Benteen the task of defending the left flank. Benteen searched fruitlessly through rough ground for about two hours before returning to the trail of the main column. As he advanced toward the river, he was met by a messenger from Custer, soon followed by another, indicating that a big village had been found and that Benteen should come ahead. A note delivered to him read: "Come on. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs." Custer seemingly meant for Benteen to unite his companies with the slow pack mules (which were bringing up the rear and guarded by Company B) and then ride on to link up with Custer's five companies. These packs contained the regiment's ammunition reserve. Benteen, however was in no apparent hurry and even spent 20 vital minutes watering his horses at a ford.( Re: April 2010 Wild West Magazine: "... as any good cavalry officer would do seeing they had been pushed to exhaustion in the drive to their commanded location ). Hearing gunfire ahead, however, Benteen spurred his command to a gallop.
A battalion made up of companies M, A and G and led by Major Marcus Reno
Marcus Reno
Marcus Albert Reno was a career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne...
had attacked the southwest corner of a large Indian village along the Little Bighorn river and had been routed with heavy casualties in its attack on the Sioux village, and the tattered remains of the battalion struggled to cross the river and climb the bluffs. As Reno's units were still under fire and low on ammunition, and since Reno was technically Benteen's superior officer, Reno ordered Benteen to share his battalion's ammunition with him. Reno was visibly shaken, and his ability to effectually command was diminished.
Within a few minutes, loud firing to the north was heard by the men on the bluffs, and the Sioux began to turn away from the Reno/Benteen units and head back into the village and continue towards the firing. These volleys signified that Custer was engaged, but to what extent, Reno and Benteen had no idea. They did not at once advance to find out, which would later create a controversy regarding an alleged abandonment of Custer. (General Nelson A. Miles
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
made an accusation to that effect.)
Captain Thomas Weir
Thomas Weir (American soldier)
Captain Thomas Benton Weir was an officer in the 7th Cavalry Regiment , notable for his participation in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand. A hill on the battlefield, Weir Point, is named in his honor.-Civil War Experience:Weir graduated from the University of...
, infuriated by the lack of movement to support Custer, rode north about a mile towards the sound of the shots to the present-day Weir Point, eventually followed by men of his company, then Benteen and the three companies under his command and finally Reno and his men, carrying the wounded. At Weir Point the view of Custer's location, some three miles further north, was largely of a cloud of dust and numerous Native American warriors in command of the battlefield.
The Lakota and Cheyenne quickly destroyed Custer’s battalion and then turned their attention to Reno and Benteen, driving them back to their original position now called the "Reno-Benteen defense site". It was a horseshoe-shaped perimeter on the bluffs near where Reno and Benteen had met. During the next 24 hours, Benteen assumed virtual command. He led two charges which drove the Indians back just as it seemed the soldiers would be overrun. Cool and calm, Benteen was seen walking amongst his troops encouraging them and leading by example. He was wounded in the thumb, and the heel was shot off one of his boots.
Benteen was later criticized for his slow travel between the time he was sent to secure the left and the time he reached the bluffs overlooking the river. However, the route he was ordered to scout is much more rugged terrain than the gently descending North Fork of Reno Creek that Custer's command had ridden down at full gallop.
His decision to remain with Reno, rather than continuing on at once to seek Custer, was also questioned by critics.
Later activities
Benteen participated in the Nez Perce campaignNez Perce War
The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government fought in 1877 as part of the American Indian Wars. After a series of battles in which both the U.S. Army and native people sustained significant casualties, the Nez Perce surrendered and were relocated...
in 1877, later being brevetted brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on February 27, 1890 for his actions at the Battle of Canyon Creek
Battle of Canyon Creek
The Battle of Canyon Creek was an 1877 military conflict between the Nez Perce Indians and the United States 7th Cavalry. The battle was part of the larger Indian Wars of the latter 19th century and the immediate Nez Perce War...
, as well as for his earlier actions at the Little Bighorn. He testified at the Reno Court of Inquiry in 1879 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Benteen was promoted to major, 9th U.S. Cavalry, in December 1882. In 1887, he was suspended for drunk and disorderly conduct at Fort DuChesne, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. He was convicted and faced dismissal from the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, but President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
reduced his sentence to a one-year suspension. Benteen retired on July 7, 1888, citing disability from rheumatism and heart disease.
Frederick Benteen died ten years later on June 22, 1898, leaving his widow Kate and a son Frederick. He was buried in Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, his pallbearers included Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
William Y. Atkinson and Charles Collier
Charles Collier
Charles A. Collier was a capitalist, banker, and lawyer. He was the son of Judge John Collier and Henrietta E. Wilson. His wife, Suzie was the daughter of William A. Rawson.-Early career:...
, the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Atlanta. Benteen's remains were later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Monuments and memorials
Benteen Elementary School and the Benteen Park neighborhood in Atlanta Georgia are named for him.Further reading
- Hammer, Kenneth, edited by Ronald H. Nichols, Men with Custer: Biographies of the 7th Cavalry June 25, 1876, Hardin, MT: Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association, 2000.
- Mills, Charles K., Harvest of Barren Regrets: The Army Career of Frederick William Benteen, 1834-1898, Glendale, CA: Arthur H. Clark Co., 1985. ISBN 0-87062-160-2
External links
- Complete transcript of the Reno Court of Inquiry